


statues of the love i've known

by emberrskies



Category: RWBY
Genre: Dungeons and Dragons AU, F/F, Fantasy AU, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Minor Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Past Abuse, Soulmates, Tagged to be safe, minor ruby rose/penny polendina, minor weiss schnee/pyrrha nikos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2019-10-29 09:36:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17805566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emberrskies/pseuds/emberrskies
Summary: A dragon's love lost. A new life granted. A memory she can't quite grasp.Yang Xiao Long is a brawler, a wanderer with no purpose but to find her next adventure. She thinks she will always be alone, abandoned by her mother, friendless and living day-to-day on the coin she's paid for her deeds.But then she finds friends: a red-cloaked huntress, an escaped summoner, and a former warlock who is just...so familiar, somehow.(A RWBY fantasy/D&D AU, ft. Bumbleby, with some side Schneekos, Nuts and Dolts, and Renora.)





	1. prologue: what have i got to lose if i’ve already lost it all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fic title is from the song statues, by firekid  
> chapter title is from the song prayers for the damned, by sixx:a.m.

_Long ago, there was a dragon._

_She was known as great and powerful, gifted with magic and respected by all. She defended the cities under her care, protecting them with a benevolent ferocity. The sight of vivid gold scales in the sky, sometimes accompanied by the red blur that was her sister, were comforting sights to the people who lived there._

_The cities were safe from encroachment, the farms thrived, the people lived in peace._

_And the dragon? She found love._

_She often wandered the cities in human form, learning the ways of the people. And one day, when visiting one of the schools of magic, she met a young mage with hair black as night, eyes as gold as the dragon’s scales. And it was as though they had always been meant to be - they remained together, enjoying the blissful peace. Both long-lived, they thought they would be together forever._

_But it was not meant to be, after all._

_One of the cities was put under siege - a powerful lich, having formed a kingdom in the north, wished to expand her territory. The dragon and the mage bravely confronted her forces, slinging spells and breathing fire, driving them off only to find more on their doorstep._

_The mage developed a ritual, one which would save the city - but in the process, it destroyed her._

_The dragon’s mourning was all it took to complete the mage’s work, leaving the city safe._

_She withdrew, emerging only to drive off imminent threats to the city. Her sister left to fight the lich. The mage was gone. She was alone._

_Centuries passed._

_At last, still consumed by grief, the dragon went to the gods. She begged them to give her a new life, without any of her memories. To be born as a human somewhere in the world, so she could end the suffering she had been put through for so long._

_They granted her request._

_Far away, in the south, on an island called Patch, a baby was born to two former adventurers._

_Her mother left immediately afterward._

_Her father named her Yang Xiao Long._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> Welcome to this fantasy/somewhat D&D AU that's been on my mind for a while now! I've been wanting to write Bumbleby fic again for a really long time, and I've finally hit a point where I'm both feeling inspired AND have time to focus on it, so this should be updated pretty regularly!
> 
> Please let me know what you think; questions, comments, constructive criticism, concerns, theories, etc! Or just feel free to say hi, either here in the comments or on tumblr (I'm yxiaolong there)!


	2. bound to sleep for countless years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from the song Ode to the Forgotten Few, by Mechina

_She dreamed - it was hazy, like staring through a fog, lights moving within it, colors, shapes, voices, all indistinct, all so familiar yet so far away._

 

_Scales and claws and teeth._

 

_Silver and gold and red and black._

 

_Dark hair, bright magic, fire, glory, pain._

 

_Pain._

 

_Pain._

 

_Pain._

 

* * *

Yang finished wrapping her hands, the linen rough on her skin. The wraps held everything in place, perfect for the brawl she was about to get into.

 

Vale’s largest tavern, the Crow Bar, was rowdy, filled with locals, tourists, and adventurers alike. Apparently, the fighting ring was a big draw, a crowd-pleaser - and, fortunately for Yang, there was a _large_ amount of gold given to each winner.

 

With the influx of Grimm around the city of Vale had come an equally-large influx of adventurers seeking work. There was enough competition that even a highly-experienced fighter like Yang had trouble finding consistent work, and she really didn’t want to be a caravan guard or a member of a ship’s crew for the time being. For once, she just wanted a break from wandering, a place to call home.

 

Which meant she needed gold.

 

Nearby, she heard the telltale chanting of a spell being cast - she recognized it as one which would augment the caster’s voice. “And now, please welcome to the ring, our new challenger, Yang Xiao Long!”

 

She stood and jumped the barrier into the pit, a small cloud of dust boiling up from around her feet as she landed in a solid stance. The crowd roared encouragement as she rose from her crouch and slammed her fists together, cocky grin on her face. _May as well play it up for the crowd._

 

“And now,” the announcer continued. “Last night’s champion, back to defend his crown - Cardin Winchester!”

 

To Yang’s surprise, the cheering was peppered with booing. She watched as her opponent strode through the gate, rolling his shoulders, smug look unaffected by the crowd’s response to him as he leveled his eyes on her.

 

“You’re going down, Xiao Long. I won’t let you take my prize from me,” he said, contempt obvious in his voice.

 

“Oh?” Yang raised an eyebrow. “You’re that sure you can beat me?”

 

“Positive.”

 

At the announcer’s urging, the crowd quieted. He stepped forward, motioning for them to prepare to fight.

 

The second the match started, Cardin swung with a wild haymaker. Yang ducked underneath it, keeping her gaze trained directly on his torso, right on the solar plexus, using her peripheral vision to watch his limbs. He swung again - she could see it coming, and ducked underneath it again. “That all you got, Winchester?”

 

He snarled, throwing a spinning hook kick that Yang easily dodged. This time, instead of just watching, she darted forward, using the opening he left with his spin to send a quick jab _directly_ at the perfect spot on his jaw.

 

He dropped like one of the sacks of potatoes in the back of the kitchen.

 

The crowd roared again, and Yang stepped back to let the announcer confirm that the fight was indeed over.

 

“Well, folks,” he said, as two healers carted the unconscious Cardin away. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a new champion!”

 

This time, amid the roaring of the crowd, she heard a voice which sounded quite distinct from the others. It was a higher voice, very enthusiastic, and she scanned the crowd until she pinpointed exactly who it belonged to.

 

A young-looking woman, probably a couple of years younger than Yang, wearing a red hooded cloak, was jumping up and down, waving her arms. “Go Yang!”

Yang raised an eyebrow, waving at the crowd and directing a wave at the young woman in acknowledgement, then turned to exit the ring.

 

Despite the fact that she hadn’t been hit at all, she could feel a headache coming on - maybe some food would cure it.

 

* * *

 

The prize turned out to be seventy-five gold, enough to keep her fed and housed for a while. Yang took a seat at the bar, vacated by someone who clapped her on the back and offered to buy her a drink - an offer she declined when she saw that he definitely wanted a bit more than he was letting on.

 

She asked for the best ale they had, as well as a bowl of Crow Bar’s famous beef stew, requests which they quickly fulfilled. Grinning, she tore a piece off of a roll of bread and was about to dip it into the stew when she heard the young woman’s voice again. “That was a great fight!”

 

Looking up, she saw the red-cloaked woman approaching, followed by a white-haired woman about Yang’s own age who was rolling her eyes good-naturedly at her friend’s enthusiasm.

 

“If it isn’t my biggest fan,” Yang said with a grin.

 

The young woman laughed, holding out her hand. “I’m Ruby, and this is Weiss. It’s nice to meet you!”

 

“Yang,” she responded, accepting the handshake. Ruby’s grip was surprisingly strong for her size - she noticed what appeared to be some sort of weapon fastened to her belt beneath the cloak. Weiss also offered a hand - she wore the robes of a mage, and had a slightly less-impressive grip that indicated her own pursuits were, indeed, likely more arcane than physical combat, despite the ornate rapier she bore. “Have a seat,” Yang offered, motioning to two more free stools beside her. “Dinner’s on me.”

 

Ruby grinned. “Sounds good to me,” she said, glancing up at the menu and then over at the bartender. “I’ll have the sandwich - oh, and some milk and cookies!”

 

The man raised an eyebrow. “Unusual choice at a bar.”

 

Ruby just shrugged, and he noted her order down, took Weiss’, and headed to the back to collect the food.

 

“So,” Yang said. “What brings you over here to talk to me?”

 

Weiss folded her hands on the bar and studied Yang for a moment, expression serious, and then nodded, as if having decided on something very important. “We have an offer for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't worry, Blake will be showing up soon - just have to lay the groundwork for things first. Hoping to have the next chapter up tomorrow or the next day!
> 
> Feel free to say hi/let me know what you think in the comments, or over on Tumblr at yxiaolong!


	3. interlude: i long for the moment our silence is broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from the song whereabouts unknown, by rise against

_ Unbeknownst to Yang, a dragon watched her. _

 

_ Red eyes in another form studied a girl as she grew. She saw hair golden as the sun, as the scales she used to wear, eyes bright and purple and missing the angry, grieving red. _

 

_ She couldn’t bring herself to talk to the girl. She hardly had in her previous life, and although she wished she could...she was a coward. She admitted that to herself, but never would speak it aloud. _

 

_ The girl grew stronger, and stronger, and stronger. Her father didn’t know her true nature - simply believed that the fire that would erupt from her in a fight or in moments of anger was a magical blessing, a gift from the gods. _

 

_ She wondered if Yang would ever learn who, and what, she truly was. _

 

_ Maybe someday she would be able to speak to her daughter, to tell her of her real nature. _

 

_ But not this time. _

 

_ Black feathers were left behind as she flew away. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to put Raven in, it wouldn't be a true story about Yang without her.
> 
> Feel free to leave your questions/comments/concerns/theories in the comments, or just say hello either there or on tumblr (url is yxiaolong)!
> 
> See you all soon with Chapter 2!


	4. and don't you know you can count on me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from the song here in spirit, by jim james

They’d finished dinner first, before heading out to Beacon Hall, Vale’s central fortress.

 

“It’ll be better if he explains it himself,” Ruby said, motioning for Yang to follow her. Weiss fell into step beside Ruby. 

 

“Who’s  _ he _ ?” Yang asked, curiosity in her eyes.

 

“The mayor. His name is Ozpin. He’s over at Beacon Hall.” She pointed toward the towering structure at the center of town, tall spires rising over an imposing wall. “He’s getting a group together - he sent me and Weiss out to find someone who can fight at close quarters and  _ also _ fit in with our team.”

 

“And we think that could be you,” Weiss explained. 

 

“Okay. You’ve definitely got my attention.” The white-haired girl nodded, satisfied, and they continued the walk in silence.

 

Yang took the time to wonder exactly how the two women in front of her got along so well - they were  _ very _ different. Weiss seemed proud, somewhat aloof, almost noble in her bearing, whereas Ruby was carefree, silver eyes glinting with mirth and joy and life. Her vibrancy clashed with Weiss’ colder demeanor - and yet they worked together seamlessly, clearly good friends.

 

“So, what are your stories?” Yang asked, raising an eyebrow and speeding up her walk to fall into step beside Ruby.

 

Ruby shrugged. “Got bored - decided to travel and help people,” she explained. “Plus, I get to use my beautiful Crescent Rose!”

 

Yang jumped back in surprise as Ruby pulled the weapon from her belt and activated a mechanism that made it  _ unfold _ . In a moment she was holding a massive scythe that dwarfed her. “A scythe?” 

 

“It’s also a customizable, high-impact crossbow.”

 

Yang grinned - Ruby’s enthusiasm was infectious.

 

“What about you?” Ruby asked.

 

“Oh!” Yang reached into her bag and retrieved her gauntlets. She slid them onto her wrists and fastened their buckles, perfectly centering the attached spiked brass knuckles and the mechanisms of the small built-in crossbows. Ruby’s eyes widened, and she stopped right there in the middle of the street to examine them.

 

“Did you design these?” she asked.

 

Yang nodded. “Yep. 

 

“Can I have a look?” Ruby bounced excitedly on her toes.

 

“Of course.” Yang pulled one off and handed it to her, and they resumed walking as Ruby inspected it, even sliding it onto her much smaller hand to properly fiddle with the crossbow’s mechanisms.

 

“These are so cool!”

 

Weiss, who had been quiet since the discussion on weapons began, tapped Yang’s shoulder and pointed. “We’re here.”

 

* * *

Beacon Hall was bigger than Yang had expected, its halls high-ceilinged, with a magnificent ballroom and a magic-powered lift that took them up, up, up, into the clocktower.

 

“That’s where Ozpin has his office,” Ruby explained, handing back Yang’s gauntlet almost sadly. “He likes clocks a lot.”

 

The lift’s doors opened, and they stepped out into a modest office, an orderly desk placed near a window, some chairs arrayed before it. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man, his hair already white, wearing small spectacles and sipping some hot drink from a small cup.

 

“Hello,” he said, rising to his feet. Yang found his voice somewhat...enigmatic, like there was something distant to it. “My name is Ozpin.”

 

“Yang,” she introduced herself, holding out her non-gauntleted hand. Ozpin shook it, his grip firm and efficient. “I heard you’re hiring?”

 

He nodded. “We’ve been having some...trouble, lately,” he explained. “I’ve been gathering teams to help deal with the situation. Vale, and Beacon Hall, cannot fall.”

 

Something about his tone seemed to make Weiss speak up. “Has there been another attack?”

 

Ozpin nodded solemnly. “A robbery. Although it seems we might have another...individual on our hands, now.”

 

Weiss frowned. “Not just the White Fang?”

 

“What’s the White Fang?” Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“An offshoot of the Faunus rights movement,” said Ozpin. “Originally, they were simply fighting for their cause - a great deal of the movement has remained peaceful, but this part of the White Fang has decided to take matters into their own hands, as it were. But recently, something about their motivations seems to have changed - they seem to have been hired as mercenaries for someone else’s cause.”

 

“That sounds concerning.”

 

“Yeah,” said Ruby. “So Ozpin’s been hiring people like me and Weiss and Jaune and Pyrrha and Ren and Nora - ”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s a lot of names,” said Yang quickly, smiling apologetically and holding up a hand. “I’m never going to be able to remember those.”

 

“You will meet them soon enough,” Ozpin said. “In the meantime - you do seem exactly like the sort of person I’m looking for. Are you interested in helping to defend Vale with us?”

 

Yang paused, bit her lip, considered for a long moment. “I’m in,” she said.

 

“Excellent.” Ozpin took another sip of his drink, glancing at the closed office door as the sound of the lift approaching echoed quietly through it. “In that case, there is only one more interview I need to conduct before we have two complete teams.”

 

“You found someone else?” asked Ruby excitedly.

 

“Yes. She’s more of a stealth fighter, which is all we lack.” He looked at each of the three young women in turn - Ruby with her scythe, Yang with her gauntlets, Weiss with her rapier and obvious magical prowess. 

 

“That’s fair,” Weiss admitted with a small smile. “I hope she’s a good fit.”

 

Ozpin nodded. “You three can go - she should be waiting outside, you can tell her I’m ready to speak with her.”

 

“Okay.” Ruby waved at Ozpin as they left the room.

 

Outside, leaning against the wall in front of the door, was a young woman, her clothes black and white, a bow adorning her hair. Her eyes were gold, Yang observed as her lavender ones met them.

 

A jolt of familiarity echoed through her mind - although Yang had never seen this girl before in her life, as far as she knew.

 

And yet...it felt as though there was a hole in her heart, now - a distant wound, torn open, a melancholy settling over her alongside a deep, strange joy.

  
_ Well, _ Yang thought.  _ That’s new. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, y'all! And I'm so glad it's finally time for Blake to show up.
> 
> I should be updating on a more regular schedule now - I'm going to do my best to have a new chapter/interlude every day, or every other day if things are busy. So yeah, you can expect updates rather than this fic dying out!
> 
> Feel free to say hi in the comments, or over on tumblr (url is yxiaolong)!


	5. interlude: the devil's got nothing on me, my friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from the song beekeeper, by keaton henson

_ He had lost her. _

 

_ The devil growled, baring his pointed teeth and running a hand through his red-brown hair. His eyes flashed with red light behind his bone-like mask as he paced, stalking back and forth with the stride of a predator. _

 

_ He had lost her - she had run, reclaimed nearly all of her soul, tearing a hole in his plans. He had lost his control. Years spent ensuring that she was his, wasted. _

 

_ Unless he got her back. Unless he could find her, force her back in line, force her to behave. _

 

_ Defiance. Stubbornness. Conviction. He could twist those as he had before, take qualities she had angled toward good and bend them to his will once more, as long as he found her. _

 

_ He would wrest her soul back from her, reunite it with the piece he still held. He could see it in his mind’s eye, where all those bound to him were tied. A fragment, frayed at the edges, glittering a bright purple, a thread leading off to wherever she had run off to. _

 

_ Yes. He could find her again. Until then, the lack of her entire soul left her vulnerable, unable to use the powers the devil had so generously gifted her, before she’d spat in his face and bent her will away from his. _

 

_ She would be back. _

 

_ He would make sure of it. _

 

_ He would destroy her new world, so all that was left for her was his. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a bonus - another interlude for you! Hope you enjoy it...as much as you can enjoy anything relating to Adam, that is.
> 
> Feel free to say hi in the comments, or over on tumblr (url is yxiaolong)!


	6. was there one you saw too clearly, did they seem too real to you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from the song dead hearts, by stars

“Uh, hi,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Yang.”

 

“Blake,” the woman replied, shaking her hand. Her voice was quiet, almost shadowy, mysterious in tone, and something about it echoed through some long-forgotten memory. Yang resisted the urge to shake her head to clear it at the sensation.

 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ruby said, beaming at her. “Ozpin says he’s ready to talk to you.”

 

“Okay,” Blake said. “Are you all some of his other hires?”   
  


Weiss nodded. “If your interview goes well, I believe we’ll be working together.”

 

“I hope we will.” Blake smiled slightly at Yang, then disappeared through the door.

 

“She seems nice,” said Ruby, adjusting her cape. “Hey, Yang, want to go meet the others?”

 

Yang raised an eyebrow. “Others?”

 

“Yeah, the other team Ozpin hired.” They all stepped onto the lift, and it began to descend. 

 

* * *

Blake hovered near the closed door, too nervous to leave it too far away. 

 

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee from behind his desk. “It’s all right - stay as close to the door as you need, Miss Belladonna.”

 

She bit her lip, uncomfortable about his figuring her out so easily. “You have a job for me?” she asked, keeping her voice as even as possible.

 

He nodded. “I do.”

 

“Working with them?” She motioned back toward the lift. When he nodded again, she folded her arms, fighting the urge to wrap them around her to fight off the odd chill she was suddenly feeling. “I accept.”

 

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. “Well - that’s certainly unexpected.” He frowned. “Well, the speed of your acceptance, anyway. May I ask -”

 

“It seems important.”

 

“Well, okay.” Taking another sip of coffee, Ozpin studied her from behind his small glasses. “We’ve been having some trouble with creatures of Grimm attacking Vale - along with what seem to be rogue members of the White Fang.”

 

Was he looking for a reaction? Regardless, Blake refused to give him one. She kept her expression entirely passive, meeting his gaze. “So - defending Vale.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

* * *

Ruby and Weiss took Yang back to Crow Bar - well, mostly Ruby. Weiss was following her almost unconsciously, fiddling with a small arcane device she’d pulled from a pouch at her belt. “They’ll meet us there,” she finally said, looking up at Ruby. 

 

The younger woman beamed. “You’re going to have to tell me how that thing works sooner or later, Weiss.”

 

“I told you, you dunce. Three times. You just couldn’t wrap your brain around the intricacies of the arcane Dust mechanism.”

 

Ruby pouted, then looked over at Yang. “Like I said - I’m more of a weapons person. Weiss does all the…” She waved her arms in the air, pantomiming what Yang assumed to be an approximation of the somatic movements for casting spells. 

 

“Sorcery?” Weiss supplied helpfully, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

 

“Yep. Sorcery.” 

 

“Do you know any arcane magic, Yang?” Weiss asked, curious. 

 

Yang shook her head. “I’m more of a brawler.”

 

Even as she said it, something about that statement didn’t fully ring true.

 

_ A flash of deep purple, of bright gold, mingling in the air. Words, foreign yet familiar, falling off her tongue like sparks from a wildfire. The air...freedom… _

 

_...belonging… _

 

“Yang?” Ruby poked her in the shoulder. “You alright there?”

 

“Yeah,” she replied, her voice quiet. “I’m fine.”

 

“Well, we’re here.” Weiss opened the door to Crow Bar and swept her arm forward, ushering them in. Yang gave her an appreciative grin, then let out a yelp as Ruby grabbed her sleeve and dragged her forward, shouting at the top of her lungs.

 

“Hey, guys!”

 

She seemed to be dragging Yang toward a group of four people around their age. One, a young blond man in ornamental yet rugged plate, waved. “Hey, Ruby!” 

 

“RUBY!” There was a flash of pink as another member of the group - Yang hadn’t even had a chance to really register her appearance - dove toward them and tackled Ruby with a hug. 

 

Managing to retain her balance, Yang looked back over at the bar, where the remaining three - the blond man, a young man who looked like some sort of monk, and a tall red-haired woman in pristine armor, shook their heads at their companion’s antics. 

 

“Sorry about that,” the monk said, approaching Yang. “That’s Nora. She...gets a bit excited.”

 

“I can see that,” Yang responded with a smile. “I’m Yang.”

 

“Ren. It’s good to meet you, Yang.” They shook hands, and Ren directed her over to the others. “This is Jaune and Pyrrha. Guys, this is Yang.”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yang,” Pyrrha said, with a warm smile. 

 

Jaune also smiled, shaking Yang’s hand. “Are you one of Ozpin’s new hires?”

 

“Yep! I’m with them.” She gestured at Ruby and Weiss. “Apparently there’s one more - she was waiting outside during my interview. All goes well, she’ll be part of our team, too.”

 

“Well, welcome aboard!” Foregoing a handshake completely, Nora flung her arms around Yang in a slightly less violent hug. “Let’s kick some Grimm ass!”

 

* * *

 

They’d ordered drinks and food, found an empty table large enough for all of them, and had settled in, by the time the door opened again, letting in a slight cool breeze from the outside. Yang cast an automatic glance at the door…

 

...and once again for her, time stood still.

 

_ Shadowy figures - ominous, yet somehow comforting. Again, that flare of purple, rising like a shield around her. A dark-cloaked figure, murmuring words in that living language, her voice melodic and oh, so familiar.  _

 

She didn’t even realize she was staring. The distant melancholy was back - but faded, dampened by the fact that the woman who’d caused it in the first place, who seemed so damned  _ familiar _ , was standing  _ right there _ .

 

Standing right there...and staring back, an odd expression on her face.

 

“What’s that about?” she heard Nora whisper.

 

Out of the corner of her eye - so peripheral to her focus she hardly noticed it - she saw Weiss shrug. “I have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back!
> 
> Life's been a thing lately, but I'm finally back to writing. Hopefully the style hasn't changed too much since I last updated. 
> 
> The song I used for the chapter title (dead hearts, by stars) is one of the songs that inspired this fic in the first place! I'll probably make a playlist for Statues one of these days.
> 
> Feel free to say hi in the comments, or on tumblr @ yxiaolong!


	7. interlude: the strangers we've become

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from the song whereabouts unknown, by rise against

_ She had gone to Vale, it seemed. _

 

_ Raven, in her form of the same name, watched from a building as Yang walked through the city with her new friends. It was somewhat odd, seeing Yang in the company of people she seemed to already call friends. For so long she had been a lone wanderer - perhaps a holdover from the state she’d been in at the end of her previous life. Not that she knew Yang well. Their lack of communication left only guesswork as a means of understanding her daughter. She may as well have been a stranger. _

 

_ Then again, despite the ambiguity, the fact that she was already comfortable in the company of the red-cloaked woman was entirely unsurprising. They were sisters, after all.  _

 

_ Odd that they should find themselves in each other’s company, and not know it - particularly as the two of them were both the type to venture far and wide across the continent and beyond.  _

 

_ She didn’t always want to believe in destiny - other than certain facts of the world that were immutable, she liked to believe there was choice in most matters. Seeing the sisters together, though - that shook a bit of that belief, and she didn’t quite like it. _

 

_ It was no matter, though. She had been away for too long as it was - now that she was sure her daughter was in good hands, she would return to her tribe. The world was growing troubled - she could feel it all around her, her heightened magical sense for shifts in the balance of the world kept her apprised of such things. They would need her. _

 

_ Raven flew off, and once she was far from the city, morphed from her corvid form to her draconic form in a burst of brilliant, angry red light. Her deep red and black scales glinted in the sunlight as she glided over the trees, toward the mountain caves the Branwen tribe of dragons currently called home. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more Raven for y'all!
> 
> It's really been encouraging that people are enjoying the story, and has motivated me to update a lot more regularly! You should be seeing a new chapter within the next day or two.
> 
> Feel free to say hi over on tumblr @ yxiaolong!


	8. see the local loves a fighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from the song underdog, by kasabian

That feeling of familiarity remained, washing out all sound and even all movement as she stared across the room at Blake.

 

Blake still held her gaze, her eyes gold in the firelight of the tavern. Yang was unable to breathe, to think of anything else.

 

And that’s when the bells began to ring.

 

But they weren’t romantic bells - far from it. They were the dissonant clang of warning bells, echoing from the top of a tower as the world roared back to life around her. She saw Blake turn, saw her shoulders tense, and without even meaning to she dashed across the room to peer over her shoulder into the street.

 

“Grimm,” Blake said, looking back up at Yang. 

 

“We’ve got to do something,” Yang replied, and Blake nodded in agreement. The others ran up behind them, Ruby and Nora jostling them to try to get a look, so Blake and Yang stepped outside, allowing them to pass. 

 

The town was in chaos - civilians who had been in the street at the time the warning sounded were running for the nearest door; windows were being barricaded and those who could were taking up weapons, ready to defend their home. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Yang noted that most of them seemed to have no real training, and some didn’t even seem to have anything but makeshift weapons - farming implements, fire pokers, or walking sticks, anything they could grab on short notice. The city guards seemed more prepared, several running for the ballistae on the walls, but Yang could tell why Ozpin was gathering more seasoned fighters for Vale’s defense.

 

“Come on!” In a blur of movement, almost too fast for the eye to follow, Ruby shot past them and off in the direction of the gate. Behind them, Weiss sighed with fond exasperation and followed her, drawing her rapier as she went. 

 

Yang and Blake glanced at each other, and dashed after them. Reaching into her bag, Yang pulled out her gauntlets and strapped them on, loading each of the crossbows and preparing them to fire. Beside her, Blake was also readying her weapon - Yang watched as she drew her sword and whispered a command word, and an arcane glyph on the side flashed a deep purple and the weapon collapsed into a kama-like configuration.

 

“Ruby’s gonna love you!” Yang shouted over the surrounding clamor. “She was asking me all sorts of questions about my weapons earlier.”

 

Blake opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the shrill, soul-shriveling shriek of the Grimm. They were visible now. A few Beowolves and Ursae seemed to have pummeled their way through the main gate, and were being held back by a shield-wall of town guards and peppered with arrows from a row of archers on the walls. It didn’t seem to be doing much to kill them outright, but at least they were being held back - which was a good thing, as the shriek echoed again. They looked up to see a massive Nevermore sail over the wall, only to get immediately hit by a sparkling blast of white-blue magic.

 

Their eyes followed its trail. Ruby and Weiss had taken up positions a little ways down the street. Weiss was standing with her rapier extended toward the Nevermore, her free hand expertly tracing arcane sigils in the air. Ruby had her scythe fully opened and braced against the ground in crossbow mode. As they watched, the air in front of Ruby’s crossbow shuddered as a series of white circular glyphs formed, imbuing Ruby’s shots with that white-blue magic - ice, Yang realized - as they sailed toward the massive bird. Shrieking again, the Nevermore landed heavily in the street.

 

It was  _ far _ too close to Yang and Blake for comfort. On the bright side, it wasn’t Yang’s first time facing down a Nevermore. Admittedly, she’d never encountered one this size before, but she at least knew that grounding it was the only real option if they were going to kill it. And for that, they’d need to get it surrounded, keep it distracted and within attack range.

 

As if on cue, Blake disappeared from her side in a puff of smoke, reappearing on the opposite side of the Nevermore. As Ruby and Weiss directed more ice blasts at it, Blake dove toward it in another puff of smoke, her weapon back in sword mode, and her sheath in her other hand. She sliced at its feathers, shearing the ends of several off in one smooth slice.

 

Clipping its wings. A solid strategy. Yang grinned, firing off a bolt from each of her gauntlets before slamming her fists together and diving toward the Nevermore, catching it just under the beak with a solid blow and earning another loud scream from her opponent. 

 

A flash of red caught her eye as Ruby and her scythe entered the fight, echoing Blake’s actions as she trimmed the feathers on the bird’s other wing. Yang threw another punch, this time at the Nevermore’s throat, as Weiss began firing off precisely-aimed magic missiles, which sailed safely past the three other fighters and hammered directly into the Nevermore’s forehead. As Ruby and Blake continued to attack in twin blurs of black and red, the Grimm shook its head, stunned, and opened its beak to let out a confused squawk.

 

Yang took that opportunity to dive straight into the Nevermore’s beak, holding it open with one raised fist as she sent several crossbow bolts directly down its throat. She’d never heard a bird  _ howl _ before - and she figured she wouldn’t soon hear a sound like this again, as the sound came out strangled, pained, and hoarse. 

 

Behind her she could hear Weiss chanting quietly, sending bolts into its wings; to the sides she could see the blur of Ruby and Blake continuing their strikes. Blake leaped, dashing across the Nevermore’s back, making a series of quick cuts. Ruby sent herself flying into the air, slicing it across the back of its neck as Weiss murmured one final spell, creating a massive cluster of ice crystals that solidly pinned its tail to the ground.

 

It let out one more howl, high and desperate, then reflexively clamped its beak down on Yang, its pain overcoming Yang’s strength. 

 

The beak’s edges were sharp. They dug painfully into Yang’s sides as she tried and failed to dive away from the bite. As they sealed around her, Yang’s vision went black. She felt herself go limp, felt herself go flying, felt herself slam  _ hard _ into a wall.

 

“ _ Yang! _ ” 

 

It was Blake. That desperate cry - it was Blake.

 

_ The roar of battle. A shout - fearful, concerned. A shadow, a purple flame, a momentary silence. A bitter taste in her mouth, pain easing. _

 

_ Vision red. Fire. A sudden burst of energy.  _

 

Yang got to her feet. Silence rang in her ears. Eyes closed, she stalked forward.

 

The Nevermore snapped at her, but Yang’s fist rose, catching it - stopping the blow that had felled her before in a flash of gold.

 

She opened her eyes and made contact with the Nevermore’s. 

 

Red met red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Writing fights is hard, even when you're referencing existing ones...I hope this flows well enough. 
> 
> Feel free to say hi in the comments or over @yxiaolong on tumblr!


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